Category Archives: International News

The new owner of a historic Arbroath fishing trawler has discovered its love boat past in a steamy seafaring flick. More than six decades after being launched as the Murella from the slip of famous town boatbuilder Gerrards, the boat is now being toured by its current owner David McDermott. The unusual addition to the story of the boat is the latest layer of a remarkable history for the craft, which is thought to be the finest remaining example of her type. >click to read<07:56

For several years, biotech companies have been promising “clean” meat, “cell-based” meat, “cultured” meat – whatever you want to call it – as a way to enjoy the taste of chicken, pork and beef without the brutality of animal slaughter or the environmental damage of big agriculture. But what about fish? What about something as prized as buttery bluefin tuna, a delicacy that has become the forbidden fruit of the sea because of the many threats that have landed the fish on threatened and endangered species lists? >click to read<12:46

Fishing communities were among the strongest supporters of the UK leaving the EU ahead of the 2016 referendum, but on Scotland’s north-east coast the Brexit wind is shifting. On a dark November morning in Peterhead, Britain’s largest fishing port, the optimism among fishermen and traders has been replaced by doubt and dismay. “I think we’ve been sold down the river once again. It’s an absolute disgrace. We trusted these politicians,” said Gary Mitchell,,,, >click to read<10:41

A Russian fisherman has found Internet fame by posting photos of all the weird and horrifying creatures he finds on his travels near the Arctic. Roman Fedortsov, a 40-year-old engineer and technologist on fishing trawlers in the Barents Sea, posts his bizarre finds a few times a week – to the horror and amusement of his followers. He told the Press Association: “People are very interested in unusual sea creatures. Photo’s, >click to read<16:36

Eighty per cent of the snow crab in the province’s waters are now smaller than fishable size, and new biological research from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans says fishing pressure on the already strained stock is the main problem. “There is a major biological concern here,” said DFO biologist Darrell Mullowney.,, The news comes just as the Department of Fisheries and Oceans is set to meet with harvesters about snow crab in a series of meetings being held across the province between November 19 and 29. >click to read<19:44

Members of the Australian seafood industry are persisting in their calls for an inquiry into seismic testing, despite the Senate having twice rejected the idea. Seismic surveys, which are used to search for undersea oil and gas deposits, involve firing intense soundwaves into the ocean floor, which fishers worry could disrupt the behaviour of marine life. Southern Bluefin Tuna Industry Association President Brian Jeffriess said not enough is known about the impacts of the practice. >click to read<11:51

It took a week for Björn Björnsson to train 20 wild cod. In a compelling demonstration of classical conditioning, the aquaculture researcher at Iceland’s Marine and Freshwater Research Institute taught the fish to associate a low-frequency sound with a free meal. It only took another day for Björnsson—with the help of one of his trained fish—to teach another 19 wild cod. People might not think of cod as herd animals, but Björnsson says cod are adept at reading social cues to learn where to grab a bite. >click to read<12:10

A man in his 20s is dead after being injured on the factory deck of a Sanford fishing vessel near Banks Peninsula in Canterbury. The Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) has opened an inquiry into the fatal accident on board the New Zealand-registered factory fishing vessel San Granit. The accident happened about 88 kilometres east of Banks Peninsula about 4am on Wednesday. >click to read< 14:04

The scientists behind a headline-grabbing global warming study did something that seems all too rare these days — they admitted to making mistakes and thanked the researcher, a global warming skeptic, who pointed them out. “When we were confronted with his insight it became immediately clear there was an issue there,” study co-author Ralph Keeling told The San Diego Union-Tribune on Tuesday. Their study, published in October, used a new method of measuring ocean heat uptake and found the oceans had absorbed 60 more heat than previously thought. >click to read<12:46

With the release of the Sea Suspension Seating units, Transport Seating are looking to enter the ever-growing commercial, military, pilot and sport recreational markets. The new suspension units come in two designs that cater to different applications and space limitations. >click to read<Visit >www.seasuspensionseating.com.au<19:06

The Western Australian government plans to grow the lobster industry and boost local lobster supply. In early-November, the government explained there could be a potential growth of 500 jobs and economic growth within the industry. Fisheries minister Dave Kelly said more than 95 per cent of commercially caught the region’s rock lobster is exported to China. “Little flows into our local market for the enjoyment of Western Australians and tourists.>click to read<

Anti-fur protesters are an elitist cult. Not only do they have their opinions (which are based solely on short sighted emotion, and not on science, sustainability or ecology), but they actively seek out and harass people for not conforming to those same racist and unsustainable beliefs. That’s a special kind of narcissism. >click to read<07:09

TOTTORI – A single snow crab fetched a record ¥2 million (S$24,188) in the season’s first auction to be held at a port in Tottori Prefecture, on Wednesday. Snow crabs are a prized winter treat in Japan. The previous record for the prefecture was ¥1.3 million, set in 2016, according to the Tottori fisheries department. An official of the prefectural government said the bid for the premium snow crab must be the highest ever in the country. >click to read<21:10

Four fisherman have been rescued after their fishing vessel capsized in the English Channel approximately 14 nautical miles south of Eastbourne, England on Thursday. The HM Coastguard successfully winched two of the fisherman from the overturned hull of the fishing vessel, while a nearby ship rescued two others from the water. >click to read<18:37

The crew of a fishing vessel on which a man died after being dragged overboard were “ill-prepared” for the emergency, an investigation has found. Mark Elder, 26, was shooting creels on board the North Star when his leg became entangled in ropes and the skipper was not able to stop the boat before he was pulled into the water at about 6.15pm on February 5 this year. Fellow crewmen recovered him from the water about 10 minutes later and carried out CPR continuously for almost 90 minutes, but were not able to revive him. >click to read<14:44

New Zealand-Gus Hutt was at the beach checking his fishing lines at about 7:15 a.m. on Oct. 26 when he spotted the 18-month-old boy and reached out and grabbed his arm. “Even then, I still thought it was just a doll,” he told local newspaper the Whakatane Beacon. “His face looked just like porcelain with his short hair wetted down. But then he let out a little squeak and I thought ‘Oh God, this is a baby and it’s alive.'” >click to read<17:04

For the most part, the mature Atlantic cod is a solitary creature that spends most of its time far below the ocean’s surface, grazing on bony fish, squid, crab, shrimp, and lobster—unless it’s spawning season, when the fish flock to each other by the millions,forming enormous shoals that resemble frenzied, teeming islands in the sea. >click to read<14:33

As many of you know, I was in the ICU at the hospital for eleven days. This was the first interruption in the flow of information we find and post that we consider would be of interest to our readers. Please bear with me as we try to get this thing going again. We’ve had well over a million viewers this year, as we have for the three years past. There are still plenty of obstacles that I need to conquer, the next being heart surgery. With that said, here we go! 11:31

A former Department of Fisheries scientist has helped develop a one-of-a-kind Personal Flotation Device that he says could stem the tide of fishermen drownings in Nova Scotia. For starters, Paul Brodie says the inflatable, waterproof work suit is far superior to what he calls bulky, cumbersome PFDs and life jackets currently on the market that many fishermen in the province simply don’t wear. “Everyone likes to be free of restrictions when they work but that’s why we have all these mortalities,” said Brodie. “Something has to be done about this appalling loss of people that sometimes happens 100 metres from shore.” >click to read<17:20

The proud new owner of an Arbroath-built fishing boat is hoping local figures can fill the blanks of the story surrounding his 61-year-old pride and joy. The vessel is due to make a historic ‘”homecoming” on her way from Kinlochbervie to a new berth near Edinburgh next week. Originally built in 1957 at the famed Gerrards yard in Arbroath, the Murella has enjoyed a fascinating and varied career which took her from the fishing grounds of the east coast to the bombing ranges of Cape Wrath.>click to read<11:06

Kaliningrad, Russia based Baltic Shipyard Yantar (member of United Shipbuilding Corporation) says it has come to a final agreement with Fishing Collective Farm named after V. Lenin on construction of a large fishing freezer trawler of new design. The construction contract will come into force upon completion of require procedures. The ship is to be laid down in July 2019 with the delivery scheduled for 2023. >click to read<15:30

“….there is at least a possible link between the proliferation of offshore turbines and the increase in whale deaths. It’s logical, no?” Perhaps a bigger mystery even than the unexplained deaths of up to 100 whales washed up on Scottish and Irish beaches during the past few months, is the fact that much of the media has been strangely quiet over the matter. It’s thought that very many more of the mammals might have perished at sea, meaning that several hundred whales might have died. >click to read<07:25

We’ve seen the impact of sea lice, farm waste, lights and nets on salmon fry, clam beds, birds, sea mammals and other marine life.,,,the technology does exist today to grow large numbers of fish on land. It didn’t exist 30 years ago, and it took Kuterra, and a handful of other pilots around the world, to show the way to full-scale operations. Now, we have a very large farm being built in Florida, and when all its modules are finished, it will grow 90,000 tonnes of fish a year on a 33-hectare site. That’s almost as much fish as all of B.C. grows right now, on a piece of land much smaller than one square kilometre. >click to read<19:35

Each time the food dispenser starts up at Golden Eagle Aquaculture, the water boils with supple, perfect coho salmon. They are Ocean Wise recommended and a Seafood Watch green light best choice — a conservationist’s dream. The flesh is invitingly red, delicious and rich in omega-3s. Land-based tanks are dimly lit to simulate winter light levels in order to trick the fish into growing faster, while delaying sexual maturity. It is one of many tricks needed to grow salmon outside the ocean, its natural environment. >click to read<17:20

StarKist agreed to plead guilty on Thursday to one felony charge of price fixing for its role in a broad conspiracy to rig the price of canned and ready-to-eat tuna, the Justice Department said. The company faces a fine of up to $100 million for forcing shoppers to pay inflated prices from at least November 2011 through December 2013, the Justice Department said. >click to read>13:16

Brexit supporting fishermen have fired back at calls for Britain to extend the post-Brexit transition period, with fishing boss Simon Collins branding plans tie the fishing industry to the European Union’s controversial Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) for even longer after Brexit as a “betrayal”. >click to read<09:52

A fatal accident on-board a fishing boat in an Aberdeenshire harbour nearly resulted in multiple deaths, an investigation has found. A report by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has made safety recommendations after the “tragic accident” in Fraserburgh. William Ironside, 52, died, while several other men fell ill while working on the Sunbeam in August. The MAIB report contains recommendations for the boat’s owners related to entering and working in refrigerated saltwater (RSW) tanks used for storing fish onboard. >click to read<10:56

The joint Norwegian-Russian Fishery Commission decides to reduce next year’s quotas to 725,000 tons. “After another round of constructive and good negotiations with Russia I am pleased that we have reached an agreement for 2019,” says Norwegian Fisheries Minister Harald T. Nesvik. “This will allow us to continue to harvest our joint fisheries in the Barents Sea in a sustainable way,” he adds. In 2019, the Barents fisheries will also see haddock quotas reduced quotas. The capelin catch will be halted. <click to read<

In Iceland, a worldwide hotspot for whale watching, gentle giants seem to rule the sea. But all the while some species of whales are still being hunted. Iceland is one of just two countries in the world that allows commercial whaling in defiance of the International Whaling Commission’s ban on whaling, making this island nation the frontlines of the war on whaling. “Iceland is all fishermen,” said Kristjan Loftsson, the managing director of the Icelandic whale hunting company, Hvalur H/F. “We are utilizing the ocean.” >click to read<14:30

A fatal accident inquiry at Lerwick Sheriff Court heard on Wednesday that Kirkudbright based West Coast Sea Products had made the wearing of lifejackets mandatory for its crewmen after the death of 34-year-old Scott Rennie from Newton Stewart. Mr Rennie fell from the scallop dredger King Challenger as he tried to unhook damaged gear on the ‘tipping deck’ of the 21metre long boat on 23 June 2016. In what Sheriff Ian Cruickshank called an “incredibly brave” effort to save Mr Rennie, fellow crewman Darren Rennie, who is no relation, dived into the sea to get a line around his unconscious crew mate. >click to read<10:01

NILS STOLPE: The New England groundfish debacle (Part IV): Is cutting back harvest really the answer?

While it’s a fact that’s hardly ever acknowledged, the assumption in fisheries management is that if the population of a stock of fish isn’t at some arbitrary level, it’s because of too much fishing. Hence the term “overfished.” Hence the mandated knee jerk reaction of the fisheries managers to not enough fish; cut back on fishing. What of other factors? They don’t count. It’s all about fishing, because fishing is all that the managers can control; it’s their Maslow’s Hammer. When it comes to the oceans it seems as if it’s about all that the industry connected mega-foundations that support the anti-fishing ENGOs with hundreds of millions of dollars a year in “donations” are interested in controlling. Read the article here

Calling a potential designation of the offshore Baltimore Canyon as the nation’s first Urban National Marine Sanctuary potentially “devastating” to the multi-million dollar fishing industry, resort Read More »